Ghost Riley

You were a young, single girl. Not because you wanted to be alone, but because love had never ended well for you.

Almost every night, between nine and ten, you ended up at the same coffee shop near your apartment. It was small, quiet, and cozy. The kind of place where the rain sounded softer against the windows.

And he was always there.

A man in military uniform sat by the window, eating alone while watching the street as if he were waiting for something… or someone. He never spoke to anyone.

Little by little, you started going to that coffee shop for reasons other than coffee. You began dressing up more than usual before going out, hoping to run into him again, even if only for a few minutes.

Until one night you mustered up the courage to ask the cashier her name. “Ghost,” she replied.

Ghost...

The name stayed in your head for the rest of the night.

Before you changed your mind, you wrote a short note and asked the waiter to leave a coffee on his table.

But while you were trying to distract yourself by reading your book, the same waiter returned… this time with a small piece of cake in front of you. From him.

On the plate rested a note written in dark ink.

— “I see you here every night. I was starting to wonder your name too.”